Tile-coating apparatus.



H. STOMMEL. TILE COATING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20. 1916.

Patented June 11, 1918.

msm.

IN VENT OR.

HUqo STOMMEL, on RE!) BANK, new JERSEY.

TILE-COATIN G APPARATU$.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 11, 1918.

. Application filed 0ctober'20, 1916. Serial No. 126,656.

This invention is a coating apparatus and more particularly an apparatus for applying a coating or covering to ceramic tiles. The object of the invention is to provide improved means for conveying the tiled coating solution from the source of supply to the coating point and applying said solution to the tile at such point. p

Generally speaking, the invention embodiesa conveyer member, a portion of which is immersed in a tile coating solution. The conveyer member is formed with a plurality of grooves or channels positioned side by side in parallel relation, and extending at right angles to the direction of movement of the conveyer. member. The grooves or channels, when passed through the tile glazing solution, are charged with said solution, and convey it to thepoint of application. Means are. provided at such point for advancing the tiles into contact with the conveyer member, and pressure means operates conjointlyr therewith to press the tiles tightly against theconveyer member. Those portions of the conveyer member, which are disposed intermediate.

the successivechannels or grooves, are of. a resihent nature so that, when thetile 1s pressed ftightly against theconveyer meme ber atthe glaze applying point, the said intermediate portions, which come into engagement with the tile, are pressed or forced against one another thereby decreasing the size of the adjacent grooves or channels, and forcing the coating solution out of said channels and depositing the same upon the tile.

Features of the invention, other than those specified, will be apparent from the following description, when read in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one practical embodiment of the invention, but the construction therein shown is to be understood as illustrative-only and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 is a fragmental elevation partly' in section, illustrating the manner in which a coating apparatus, embodying the present invention, operates when applying a tile glazing solution to a tile.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental perspective detail of the conveyer belt.

In said drawing, A designates an endless conveyer. belt which is mounted for travel around a pair of rollers B B, and is driven from either or both, as occasion may require. The. conveyer belt is formed from flexible material, preferably rubber, and its exterior surface is provided with transverse grooves or channels D positioned side by side, in parallel relation and extending throughout the entire longitudinal length ofthe belt. The, ooves D extend for the greater width of the belt, but terminate in wardly from the edges of the belt so that each groove forms, in effect, an elongated narrow pocket. The belt is thus formed with a very large number of such pockets positioned side by side. The pockets are positioned so closely together that the portions of the belt intermediate the successive pockets are comparatively. thin walls which are in a measure flexible. and resilient because of the particular character of the material from which the belt is formed. The sides of the grooves or channels D may be cut in perpendicular relation to the face of the belt, if desired, but are preferably cut obliquely thereto and in such direction that they are opposed to the direction of travel of the belt as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Rollers B and B are mounted on horizontal axes in different horizontal planes and at least a portion of the latter issubmerged in the tile glazing solution contained in a trough or reservoir C. Thus, as the belt advances the grooves or channels are successively dipped below the surface of the solution and emerge therefrom charged with said solution. The continued travel of the belt moves the filled or loaded channels around the roller B and upwardly and over the roller B.

Positioned immediately, above the roller B is a. pressure roller G which is rotated in any suitable manner in a direction contrary to the rotation of the roller B and because of the conjoint operation of these two rollers, a tile H fed to said rollers is caused to advance between them with one surface of said tile in engagement with the grooved surface of the conveye'r belt. The tiles H may be either fed manually to the rollers G and B and manually removed therefrom or, as shown, such feeding and removing operations may be performed. by endless aprons I I.

The result of the foregoin construction is that when a tile is passer between the rollers Gr and B the pressure imposed upon the tile by the former roller causes the tile to be pressed down tightly upon the com veyer. belt. and such downward pressure of the tile compresses or forces together the thin walls between the successive transverse grooves of the belt, thereby squeezing. out the contents of said grooves and depositing the same upon the tile; Manifestly, the amount of solution deposited upon the: tile may be determinedby the dimensions o'f-the grooves as well as the force which the pressure roller G exerts upon the tile. Said lat-' ter force may be readily governed by any suitable form of adjusting device for vary.- ing the pressure of roller G.

If desired the construction thus far de-' scribed may be employed as a complete dc vice but in practice I preferably provide the conveyer belt with a covering of hair cloth F,- generally formed by weaving horse -hair. I have found by experiment that tile glaz ing solution will not adheretohorse-hair, and consequently will not dry thereonin such manner as to fill up the poresor interstices between the warp and weft of the fabric. Moreover, the fabric thus formed is of such porous natureas to allow the tile glazing solution to readily enter the grooves from the reservoir during the charging operation and which solutionmay be equally, readily discharged through the pores of-said fabric during the applying operation. The

slippery or'glossy characteristic of the fab ric furthermore,- causes the same to slide easily when in engagement with thetile'and uniformly distribute the coating thereon,- The hair cloth fabric may be readily gleaned, is very pliable andeatreI-nely dura- In the. foregoing description the invention hasb'een described" in its adaptation to conveyor belt operated about a pair of spaced rollers; It will begunderstoodhowever, that a singleroller mightbe empieyed;

the periphery of which roller reformedthe same manner a'sthe outer face of the conveyer belt A, and a portion of which roller is submerged in reservoir containing the tile coatingsolution.-

The present invention is moreover, not limited to the use of'hair cloth as-other suit able porous material may be" employed altho'ughthe hair cloth. is referablesince it operates, with the greatest efliciency.

said solution and convey the" same to the point of application to the-tile, and a covering of hair-cloth over said conveyer mem- 'bGI.

2. In a tile-co'ating-machine, a liquidconveyer member of flexible material, a portion of which is adapted to be immersed a tile coating solution; said conveyer member being provided withgrooves extending transversely of the direction of travel of said member whereby said grooves emerge from the tile coating solution charged withsaid solution and convey the same bathe point of application to the tile, and pres sure means for forcing a tile against the conveyer member for the purpose of squeezing the tile coating solution out of the grooves and depositing the same on the tile,

and a" hair cloth covering over the grooved surface of said conveyer member and throughwhich the grooves are'charged-afid discharged;

3, In a" tilecoating machine, a conveye'r belt for the coating solution; a. portion of" which belt isadapted to be immersed his body of said solution, and the eXterior"'sui-" face of which belt-l is provided withiralisverse undercut grooves positioned side by' side and'in parallel relation, which grooves become-- charged in passing. through-the tile coating solt'ltlon an-d convey th sanie toi its pOiHt; 0f application'ta. the 'tili" i; a tile coating machine, a: conveyer member provlded on its exteridr face "with depressed, undercut pocket-s adapted to be" are charged witha tile coating solutionffroni a a source of supply, and means for sub sequently compressing said conveyer' mem ber forthe purpose of squeezing the soliitlon out of the under-cut pockets made-'- positing the same upon the tile. U s s s 5'. In a tIle'CO'Mil'IIg machine, a liquid con-1 Veyer member of flexible material, a portion of which isadapted to be immersed in a tile coating solfition, said conveyer member bemg provided with under-cut grooves as tending transversely of the direction, of

travel of said member, whereby they emerge from the tile coating solution charged with said-solutionand convey the same to the point of application. to the tile,

and means for imparting pressure to ;tli e' conveyer member at said point (if-application, said grooves being positioned so closely decrease the liquid-carrying capacity of the together, side by side, that a relatively thin grooves for the purpose of squeezing the tile wall, which, in section, extends obliquely coating solution out of said grooves and de- 10 to the face of the conveyor member, is positing the same upon the tile.

5 formed between each two successive grooves, In testimony whereof I have signed my said dividing Walls being bent down and name to this specification. forced together by the pressure means to HUGO STOMM'EL.

, 00pm; efi this patent may be obtained for in cents each, by sum-cue o "Gemnmicmer at 1 1*" i Washington, D. 0." 

